Apparatus for preventing the emulsification of oil from wells.



J. E. REYNOLDS. .APPARATU S FOR PREVENTING THE EMULSIFICATION OF OILFROM WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23, I915.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WIT/V598 Arm/ r I. E. REYNGLUS. APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING THEEMULSIFICATION OF OIL FROM WELLS. nrrucmom mE'n um: 23. m5.

Pawn @011; 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A 7T DRIVE V To all whom it may concern.

APPARATUS FOR PQREVE'NTING masses. h

Application-filed June 23,1915. Serial No..35,951.

Be it known that I, JOHN E. RnYfioLDs, a citizen of the I United States,residing at 'Taft, in the county of- Kernrandhstate of California, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Apparatus" forPreventing t e Emulsification of .Oil from Wells, of which the followingis a-specifica l v 0 permit the escape of gas into the atmosphere tion.a

My inventioh relates in general to apparatus and appliancesjforoperating oil-wells, and particularly to means efi'ecting 'theflowthereof.

The essential object'of my inventioii isto prevent theemulsifieation ofthe oil from wells producing oil and gas, or oil, gas and Water in,combination, and it is applicable to flowing Wells or to wells caused toflow by compressed air,

To thislend, my invention consists in the novel apparatus, the natureand operation of which I shall now 'fully describe, by referwhich enceto the accompanying drawings, in

Figure, 1, is a plan of my apparatus. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of thesame. y I 1 is atig'ht con tainer of any suitable shape and dimensions,preferably elongated-and recumbent, =as thisform' and position yieldthebest result'sin the treatment of the well V product, both withrespect to the" utilization.

of its gaseous component to form the gas cushion hereinafter described,and in the separation of the various ingredients ofls'aid product. 1' isa. similar tight container.

' 2 isthe pipe line from the well. This is connected by the elbow 3 withthe branch 4: leading by a tight connection into cone end 'of thecontainer 1, and with the; ;branch 4'" leading, by similar connection,into the end ofthe container-I1. 5, is a gate valve contrdlling thebranch 4; and 5 is a gate valve controlling the] branch 1. From thelower{ portion or area of the other end of the con trolled byffa gatevalve -7. .A; similar oil v ,of each container, near its-discharge end,.de-Q;

draw-0E pipe. 6" "leads fromjtheother end of the other container'l, andis controlled 1 57a gate valve 7.' The dra pipes 6 a and 6"connect withtheoil lines8 and 84 spectively which lead i-, th tanks res-erg-.voirs.l-

. specincation of Letters Patent.

tamer 1'lea ds1theoil draw-ofl pi'pe 6 conv e, I

THE EMULSIHCATION OF OIL FROM WELLS.

. lE atentedU pendsan inverted dome 10 from which a when necessary. Withthe riser gas pipes 13 are. connected the gas pipes 15 which lead to thegas line 16 which is connected into the oil line 8 which, as heretoforestated, leads to the tanks or reservoirs. Each of the pipes iscontrolled by a valve 17. These ease, isle.

gas pipes 13 and 15 may be in any suitable I number atmtervals along thelength of the container. 1 have,'ffor'1llustration, shown three Inconnection with the container 1 are similarly disp sed riser gas pipes18, valves 14, pipes 15 valves/l7 and a gas line .16 which latterisconnected into the oil line 8. From the upper portion of one containerto the upper portion of the othercontainer leads. a pressure equalizingpipe 18. con-' trolled by the valves 19.

H 20 is a water line plpe as a wash pipe'22 down into the invertedconnecting into the water p1pe21 which is continued at each end used towash out foreign particles, such as necessary.

23 and'23f are gas; pipes which lead Tmud and sand, 1 etc., from saiddomes, if

gas line 24. These pipes 23 and 23 are fitted 4 fwitlihand valves 25 and25' ,and'are controlled by check valves 26 and'26. Theyare used fortaking-01f surplus as to the line24 for commercial purposes, i desired.7 r

.27 and 27 "aresafety pop-valves to pre:

. vent an excess of pressure in the containers.

' Valve controlled outlet pipes 28 in the end .offthe containers areused as "gages to ascer-g tain the height of the liquid in said con- 29-re pressure gages.

The operation. oftheapparatus' isas folv "lows: The fluid -fr'om-the.well, oil, gas,

Water, mudy'sand, etc., passes through the Q1 'well'line'2 ,andrbranch'4:, the gate valve 15 'lof'-which;,.is open, intothe container 1, "the-fme the other container 1 lisiclosed its gate valve to the well line, andit is also closed to thefirst container by the valve '19 in itsequalizer pipe 18. As the well product flows into container 1, one ormore -pf' the gas exits from the top of the container are opened, theair content of said container being thus vented so that the containerfills with the well product. Then the vents are closed and the pressurerises in the container. When the pressure reaches the desired point, theequalizing pipe 18 is .{opened by its valve 19 and gas passes over fromcontainer 1 to container 1, until the pressure in the two containers isthe same,-

andis at the desired point. This point is reached, regulated, controlledand maintained-by the proper manipulation of the valves 17 in the gaspipes which permit excess of pressure to pass oil through gas line 16into the oil line 8; or, if it be desired, the pipe 23 may be used tocarry the surplus gas to the gas line 24. for commercial use.

There is thus established in the second container 1 a gas cushion undersuch pressure,

as may be found best to permit ;the well product to flow in against.When" this gas "established therein. The effect of this is said pipe byits gate valve 5.

cushion is established, the first container 1. is closed by its gatevalve 5 to the Well pipe 2, and the second container 1- is opened to Thgequalizing pipe 'l8 between the two containers is closed; and the oildischarge pipe .6 from the first container is opened. The well productnow flows into the second container 1' against the gas cushion which hasbeen to so quiet it that emulsification is prevented .I so

and the severalingredients separate efi'ectually and may be drawn .Ofiseparately. The desired effect, it'will be seen, thus takes place firstin the second container 1', because the operation in the first container1 is merely to establish the first gas cushion in. the second container'1, and the product first taken into first container 1 is merely tostart the operation, and as a matter of fact this first batch ofoil incont iner 1 is practically spoiled as it has een emulsified.

,But now the operation proceeds regularly,

for the contents of the first container 1 having been drawn oil, and thesecond, contamer 1 havmg been filled with the. well product, itspressure is now transferred to l until the pressure, regulated andcontrolled container 1, through the equalizer pipe 18 as before, is thesame in both, and the necessary gas cushion is thus-established in thefirst contalner 1. Thereupon the operation s again reversed, the wellline 2 being connected with container-1 and shut ofi from container 1.Thetwell product'now flows lnto container 1 against ,the gascushionestablished therein, andthe separated products in container 1 are drawnofi'. Thus I the operation continues, the well itself furnishing thenecessary gas cushion alter- I nately in each container.

In the light of the foregoing description, the following considerationswill be fully understood. Heretofore the pressure and flow of flowingoil wells has been controlled either by a flow plug or a valve placed inthe fiowline, either at or some distance from fied product is, in 'mostcases, valueless unless "treated in various ways at great expense, andin some cases no successful method of. treatment has been found.

My invention may be used on all flowing oil Wells either those producingoil and gas,

or oil, gas and water in combination, or upon oil wells' caused to flowby means of compressed air. When water is associated with the oil andgas, the apparatus, by reason of the cushion of 'gas against which thewell is continuously made to flow, prevents emulsification of theproduct. The cushion .of gas that is continuously held in the apparatusunder pressure can be so regulated by valves that it will have thesameefie ct as the above mentioned valve or flow plu I commonly used, but iteliminates entirely the emulsification of the-product. The apparatusmakes further treatment of the oil, gas and waterfor the purpose ofseparation, unnecessary, as'upon leading the product fromthe apparatusinto reservoirs or tanks, the water can be easily Withdrawn.

The gas makes its Way through the risers into the gasmains. The size ofthe con; tainers and necessary connections of the apparatus aredependent entirely upon the amount of output of the 'well, and no-matter,how large the output may be, the appa-.

ratus can be suitably built to handle the production, and effectuallycause the separation of the oil, gas, andiwater, without appre- 'ciableloss. Also, because of the gas cushion against which the well is at alltimes flow- -ing, the life of thewell-will be prolonged,

for the chief reason that it has a steadying effect upon the well, andeliminates all sud- Ill! den and unduepressures against the well,'

and furthermore prevents the sucking in and breaking down of the loosecontaining formations encountered in many oil fields. Inasmuch as theapparatus alsomakes use of only the amount of gas required to keep thewell steadily flowing, this conservation ofthe gas pressure will alsotend to pro-' long the life of the well.

The apparatus can be used with equal success upon flowing wellsproducing sand, oil and gas, or sand, oil, gas-andwater in combination,and, ;in addition to securing a separation of the sand, water, oil andgas, the apparatus, by reason-of itssteadying'fl effect upon the welland the open flow lineobtainable, has a tendency to prevent chok-' ingof the Well any suddenly increased v amount of sand. 1 I The apparatusmay be used in combination with the customaryflow plug or valveif'desired, and on account of the equalization of the pressure on bothsides of such -flow plug or valve, by reason of the gas cushionv againstwhich the well is at all times flowing, emulsification' will beprevented. v By the use of this apparatus, reduction of the productionof a well can be obtained by regulation of the valves without anymaterial injury to the well.

Danger of the cutting out of fittings in wells Where sand accompaniesthe oil and gas is greatly lessenedbecause of the decreased frictionobtained by the enlarged flow line opening allowable, because of thecontrolling gas cushion.

I claim t 'liAn apparatus for the describedpurpose, comprising apluralityfof independent tight containe rs; a separately controllabletight inlet connection from the well line to .each container; aseparately controllable discharge connection for the non-gaseouscontents of each container; and a controllable gas connection betweenthe containers for establishing in each alternately a'gas cushionagainst the flow of thewell thereinto. Y 4t) 2. An apparatus for thedescribed purpose, comprising a plurality of independent tightcontainers; a separately controllable tight inlet connection from thewell'line to each container; ase aratelycontrollable dis- 45 chargeconnection orthe non-gaseous contents of each container; acontrollable-gas connection between the containers for establishing ineach alternately a gas cushion against the fiow of the well thereintoand 50 separately controllable gas vents from each container to controlthe pressure therein.

3. An apparatus .for the described pur-- I pose, comprisinga pluralityof independent tight containers; a separately controllable tight inletconnection from the well'line to ach container; a separatelycontrollable. discharge connection for the liquid contents; 0

each container; a separately controllable. discharge connection for thefluent solids ,60 from each container;and a controllable gas connectionbetween the containers for ee-K tablishing in each alternatelya gascushion against the flow of the well"-thereinto 4. A11 apparatus for thedescribed 'pur- 5 pose, comprising a plurality of-indep'endent w 'natelya gas on tight containers; a separately ,controllable tight inletconnection from the well line to each container-9a separatelycontrollable discharge connection for the liquid contents 01E eachcontainer; a separately controllable discharge connection for the fluentsolids from each container; a controllable gas connection between thecontainers for establishing in each alternately a gas'cushion againstthe flow of the well thereinto, and separately controllable gas ventsfrom each container to control the pressure therein.

5. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprlsing a plurality ofindependent elongated, recumbent, tight containers; a

separately controllable tight, inlet connec-' tion from. the well linewithone end of each container; 'a separately controllable dischargeconnection for the non-gaseous contents from the lower area ot the otherend of each container; and a controllable gas connection between theupper areas of the containers for establishing in each containeralternately a gas cushion against the flow of the "well thereinto,

6. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a plurality ofinde end-' ent elongated, recumbent, tight containers; a separatelycontrollable tight inlet connection from the well line with one end ofeach container; a separately controllable discharge connection for thenon-gaseous contents from the lower area of the other end of eachcontainer; a controllable gas connection between the; up er areas of thecontainers for, establishing in each container alternately a gas cushionagainst the flow of the well thereinto; and separately controllable gasvents from the upper area of each container to control the pressuretherein.

7. An apparatus \for the described purpose, comprising a plurality ofindependent elongated, recumbent, tight containers; a

separately controllable tight inlet connection from the well line withone end of each container; a separately ontrollable dischargeconnectionafor the li uid contents from the lower-area of tthe other endof each. container a separately controllable in verted dome for thereception and discharge of the I "fluent solids vfrom the lower-area ofeach container; and a controllable gas connection between the upperareas ofthe containers for establishing in each container alter: shionagainst the flow of the well -thereinto. Q i 1 8, An apparatus for thedescribed purpose, comprising a plurality of independent elongated;-recumbent, ti ht containers; it

separately controllable tight inlet connec-' tion from the-well linewith one end of each ontainer; a separately controllable dis chargeconnection for the liquid co tents from the lower area of the-other lid0 each container; a separately controlla 1e inverted'dome for thereception and discharge of the fluent solids from the lower area of eachcontainer; a controllable gas connection be-- tvteen the upper areas ofthe containers for establishingin ,each conta inefr alternately a gascushion against the flow of the Well thereinto; andseparatelybontrollable gas .vents from the upper area of each containerto control the pressure therein.

9. apparatl'l s'fon the described purose, comprising a tight container;means or establishing therein a gas-cushion; a controllable inletconnection from the Well a line to the. container to admit the ell newthereinto against 'the gas-cushion therein; and separately controllabledischarges for the contents ofthe container.

10. An apparatus for the described purpose, comprising a tightcontainer; means connecting said cont iner with the Well line forestablishing in said contalner a cushion of gas from the Well; acontrollable. inlet connection from the Well line to the container toadmit the Well flow 'thereinto' against the gas-cushion therein; andsepa-- JOHN E.

Witnesses: t

R. B. W ITTEMORE, A. M. KEENE.

REYNOLDS.

